Heddle frame



July 2 1949 J. J. KAUFMANN 2,296,844

HEDDLE FRAME Filed Aug. 1,r 1938 v o @jwrw I Patented July 2, "1940 to `Steel Heddle Manufacturing Company, Pliila-y 3e `de1pfl1`ia,fPa.,a corporationiof Pennsylvania Application `August `1, 193s, serialfive` 222,292;

` aclantis, (Crista-ez) This `invention relates to heddle` frames `for looms, and it` relates more particularly to imt proved means forsupporting the heddle` bars in-` e termediate the ends thereof. I i I Heretoforemarious means have been employed to support the heddle "bars of loom harness frames, intermediate their ends, to prevent their displacement or distortion when subjected to the `stresses and strains incident to the `operation of the loom. The moet common form` of such de- `vices comprisesy the so-called hook `members Whichare iixedly mounted in the top and bottom rails of the heddle frames at various places along the length thereof. i i

II-Iowever, `inithe useof fixedly locatedhook members, the heddles are not permitted the requisitewfreedom of movement upon the "heddle rods, which frequently `results in Warpstreaks and in other defects in the Weave. Recourse has therefore been had `tothe so-called slide hooks comprising supportinglnembers slidably mounted on additional or auxiliary rods carried bythe topand bottom rails of the framel Various forms of such slide hooks have, beendevised, noneof y which, however, haveproved entirely satisfactory` One of the principal difficulties encountered in the use of slide hookscto support theheddle bars hasbeenntheir tendency to cock and bind on t their supporting rods and on the heddle bars, in

I T which event theyare morefapt to cause defects in the weave thanithe permanently `iixed `but properlylocated hooksy` I i I ;`-The principalfobject `of thepresent invention is to provide a novel form of slide hookcwhich is solmounted and supported on the auxiliary rod that there will be no tendency to bind `and position,` I i i ,I l,

A further object `of the invention is to provide to `cause the slidemember to beheld in fixed` '40 a form of slide hook for loom heddle frames which `will have the aforesaid advantages, `but Whichmayalso be usedin connection With the other parts of the `loomharness frames at present in `common use. e v

A further object ofthe invention is to provide a slide .hook having the aforesaid advantages, in the use of Which Wearfof the supporting rod, `as Well as of the heddle bars, willbe reduced to 50 a minimum. n I Y `A further object `of the invention isto provide a form of slide hook having the advantages above set forth, andwhich may be inexpensively made. 55 t Further objects and advantages of the inven section; and I,

tion ,wilhbeapparent to those skilled in `the art.\.j,`,`-,f ,Y

v,The natureand characteristic features of the invention will `be more readily understood from the `following `description taken in` connection I5 with `the accompanying drawing forming part hereofin which: I t I Figure 1 is an elevational View of a heddle frame having mounted therein, heddle bar supporting devices embodyingthe main features of 110 thewpresent invention; t v Fig. 2 is an enlargedfragmentary detail view, infront elevation, of a preferred form of slide hook as illustrated in Fig. l, together with cerf tain` ofthe associated parts of the heddle frame; 15,

rFig. `3 is` a side elevation of` a portion of the structure shovvnin Fig; `2, the rail, rheddle bar, and auxiliary supporting rod, being shown in ,t Fig. 4 is a perspective View ofh one. of theislide 20 `hooks detached. I v t l 5 It` will,` of course, be understood-that the det scription and drawing herein `are illustrative merely, and that `various changes and modifications may be made ink `thestructure disclosed 25 without departingfrom the spirit ofthe inventionn` i Referring 'to `the drawing, the vhed-dle frame thereshown consists of` the top and bottom rails or shafts iliconnected at their ends by means 30 of the side strips II. .Extending from end to end `of the heddle frame and arranged near the top `and bottom thereof in the usual manner,

are the heddle bars I2 upon which'the heddles 35 IS are mounted. The heddle frame is also provided with auxliary supporting rods Iii, each of said rods being preferablypf non-circular cross section. The

rods Mare slipportedin the frame by means of screw eyes I5, which are mounted in the top and 4&0 bottom rails i0 at the desired locations along the inner edges thereof. A

' "Upon the rods I4 are mounted theslidable supporting members I6 comprising the principal novel part of the present invention. While in 45 Figure l of the drawing, there is shown but a single one of the slidable members i6 on each of the rods I4, it should, however, be understood that'in actual practice a` plurality of such slidable members is mounted on each of said rods, the number employed depending in each instance upon the conditions, such as'the length `of the frame and the amount of strain imparted by the Warp when the shedding takes place.

The preferred form of slidable supporting its member I6 is shown in Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawing. As there shown, the same is preferably made by punching and forming from a strip cf metal, andvit has a vertically extending portion I1 of double thickness, the two parts being secured to each other by spot welding, brazing, lor other permanent fastening means. These vertically extending portions I'I are suitably recessed. in any preferred manner as, for example, at I8, for the reception of the heddle bar I2, whereby said heddle bar, when seated in said recess I8, will be held against distortion or displacement in the frame.

At one end of each of the verticalportions II of the supporting member I6,the metalis bent toprovide a horizontally extending portion I9 which extends along and engages the edge of the rod I4 on the side thereof which is disposed toward the inner edge of the rail to which said rod is secured. At the end of each of the horizontally extending portions I9, the strip is bent over vertically, as at 20, and then horizontally, as at 2|, `the horizontal :portion comprising a lip which bears against the other edge of the rod. The vertically extending portions 20 at the ends of the supporting member IIi` are apertured as at 22, and likewise the upper part of each of the vertically extending portions I1 is apertured as at 23 to permit Ithe mounting of the device on I'Od I4. Y

By the foregoing arrangement, the supporting member is provided with extended bearing surfaces which engage one edge of the rod, and with inturned lips alsol having .bearing surfaces'of substantial area which engage the other edge of said rod. There is thus assured complete freedom of movement ofthe supporting member IB on the auxiliary rod, so that whenever the heddles tend to crowd against the same, the proper accommodation will automatically be made and the formation of warp streaks and other defects in'the cloth, by reason of such crowding of the heddles against the supporting hook member, will be eliminated.

Likewise, the extended bearing surfaces provided on the side of the supporting device which is subjected to the greatest amount of wear, will tend to reduce the wear to va minimum, and a longer life of the supporting member, as well as of the auxiliary rod and the heddle-bars, will be obtained.

I claim:

1. In a heddle frame for looms comprising top and bottom rails, heddle bars upon which the heddles are mounted, auxiliary supporting rods carriedby the top and bottom rails adjacent the inner edges thereof, f and slidable members mounted on thel auxiliary supporting rods `for supporting the heddle bars intermediate their ends; said slidable members each comprising two parts shaped and disposed symmetrically with respect to each other, each of said parts having a vertically extending portion permanently and bottom rails, heddle bars upon which the heddles are mounted,auxiliary supporting rods carried by the top and bottom-rails adjacent the inner edges thereof, and slidable members .mounted on the auxiliary supporting rods for supporting the heddle bars intermediate their ends;V said slidable members each comprising two parts sha-ped and'disposed symmetrically with' respect toeach other, each of said `parts having a vertically extending yportion permanently united to the corresponding vertically extending portion of the other part, said` united portions `having a recess within which the heddle bar is positioned, each 'of said parts also having a horizontal portion extending laterally from the vertical portion and bearing against one edge of the auxiliary supporting rod, an end portion extending from the laterally extending portion, andan inturned horizontal portion extending from said end portion andbearing against the other edge of the auxiliary supporting rod, and the end portion of each part having an aperture through which the auxiliary supporting rod extends.` .A

3. In a heddle frame for looms comprising top andbottom rails, heddle bars upon which the heddles are mounted, auxiliary supporting rods carried by the top and bottom rails adjacent the inner edges thereof, and slidable members mounted on the auxiliary supporting rods for supporting the heddle bars intermediate their v ends; said slidable members each comprising two parts shaped and disposed symmetrically with respect to each other, each of said parts comprising a unitary flat metallic strip bent and formed to :provide a vertically extending portion, a horizontal portion extending laterally from the vertical portion and bearing against one edge of the auxiliary supporting rod, an end portion extending from the laterally extending portion, and a horizontalportion extending from said end portionand Abearing against the other edge of the auxiliary supporting rod, the end portion of each part having an aperture through which the auxiliary supporting rod extends the vertically extending portion of each part being permanently united to the corresponding vertically extending portion of the other part, andthe heddle bar being carried by said vertically extending portions.

JOHN JACOB KAUFMANN. 

